We had a bit of a mix up with the 18th pick. I thought
I had lost:
Ed Ouellette and found a substitute Simon Cushing
Ed, it turns out, was not lost, just missing and both sent me
reports with, as luck would have it, the same player choice:
Jauque Vaughn
Not wanting to waste two excellent reports, I include both here.
Special thanks to Simon for coming through on such short notice.

I. TEAM NEEDS AND HISTORY

Simon:
SUMMARY:
Well, they don't call him "Trader Bob" for nothing. Bob Whitsitt
was brought in 3 seasons ago and given a salary that (at the time)
was at the very top for GMs and told to re-structure the Blazers.
This was a difficult task at the time, as the Blazers were largely
unchanged (except for the addition of Strickland) from the
championship-contending early 90's model, and there were a lot of
hefty salaries and aging players. So Whitsitt started slowly,
picked up speed with the Drexler-for-Thorpe trade, and finally hit
his stride last summer when he COMPLETELY overhauled the roster,
and brought in a whole bunch of talented-but-troubled YOUNG
players. He seemed to be following the path he did with the
Sonics, which was high-risk, but potentially high-reward. I must
confess I was very much a Whitsitt-sceptic, and agreed with
crotchety Oregonian columnist Dwight Jaynes that Trader Bob
thought like a fantasy GM: looked strictly at stats with no regard
for team chemistry. Well, after this season, I am something of a
convert, particularly when it comes to Rasheed Wallace, about whom
I was particularly doubtful (especially as he was acquired in
exchange for Rod Strickland, who I think is at least a top-5 point
guard and very underrated). I still have my doubts about Kenny
Anderson and J.R. Rider, but I no longer think Whitsitt was crazy
to take Jermaine O'Neal last year when John Wallace was available
(even despite the fact that O'Neal just got arrested!). The
Blazers were (I think) the youngest team on average in the NBA
this past season and managed NOT to implode as everyone (including
me) predicted they would, and instead put together a very strong
late-season run, much as last season's team did.
Ideally, then, given the youth and comparative NBA inexperience of
much of the roster, the Blazers should do nothing this off-season
and just let the team mature, with luck living up to their huge
potential. A couple of things complicate matters, however:
1) Cliff Robinson is a FA.
2) Chris Dudley is a FA (he just opted out, with 3 years and $13M
left on his contract, which just goes to show what Jim McIllvaine
has done to the white, no-offence centre market)
3) Arvydas Sabonis, still the Blazers most talented player and
over 24 minutes, a top 5 centre, is starting to show his age and
injuries, and it's unclear how he fits with the rest of the roster
which will just be maturing as Sabonis retires.
As far as the draft is concerned, the Blazers have two picks but
owe the Timberwolves a first-round pick this year or next as part
of the J.R. Rider trade. Whitsitt has suggested that, unless
picks #18 and #20 can be bundled to move up, he will give up #20
to the 'Wolves this year. What Whitsitt will do is always hard to
predict, however, and he plays his cards very close to his chest.
As long as Shawn Kemp is complaining in Seattle the rumours will
persist that the Blazers will try to acquire him, because of
Whitsitt's supposed high regard for his former player (although
I'm not sure if it was Whitsitt or Bickerstaff who can actually
take credit for drafting him). On to the roster:
Ed:
Bob Whitsitt has turned the Blazers from and aging team that could
not get past the first round into a young team that wasn't able to get
out of the first round. The Blazers were able to make the playoffs for
the 15th straight year, the longest current streak in the NBA, while
becoming the youngest team in the NBA. Trader Bob was able to move Rod
Strickland, who was unhappy with the coach, and get a quality young big
guy, Rasheed Wallace, in return. Mr. Whitsitt has already shown,
by the dumping of Carlisimo and the hiring of Dunleavy, that he is not
content to sit on his hands and let this young team mature. He faces
important decisions in the offseason regarding two key free agents, Chris
Dudley and Clifford Robinson. Whitsitt's pledge for a trapping, up-tempo
style might have been little more than talk surrounding PJ's firing,
considering that so many of the team's key players (Sabonis, Wallace,
Trent, Rider) are effective in the half-court set.

a) PLAYER REVIEW (Salary is this season's)

CENTRE:
Arvydas Sabonis, $2.6M
G mpg fg% 3fg% ft% apg spg tog bpg rpg ppg
69 25.5 .498 .371 .777 2.1 0.9 2.2 1.2 7.9 13.4
Simon:
Sabonis should have been rookie of the year last year, and can be
absolutely dominating. He's a huge man and one of the strongest
players in the league who is hampered by oft-injured legs that
reduce his leaping ability greatly and mean that he should not
average more than than around 26mpg except where absolutely
necessary (and if he does, he's next-to-useless the next game).
Apart from jumping, Sabonis can do it all: he cannot be stopped in
the post, he can shoot 3 pointers at a 37% clip, his passing is
spectacular (can deliver the behind-the-back bounce pass like
nobody in the league) and his rebounding ability incredible for
someone who couldn't jump over a piece of paper. Ditto for his
shot-blocking (he has long arms even for his size). A rare
combination of fundamentally sound and spectacular to watch, while
having zero athleticism. Fuse him with Chris Dudley and you'd
have a 7'3, 290lb Larry Bird and the best centre in the league.
HOWEVER, he showed his age in the playoffs this year, and his
value to the Blazers may be most evident in trade, although given
his comparatively low salary, plus the fact that other teams might
be leery of his fitness, means the team might not get fair value.
Portland fans will forever wonder what would have happened if the
team could have brought him over earlier, and teamed him with the
Drexler-led teams of the early 90s. At least one fewer ring for
Michael and Zeke, I'm betting.
Chris Dudley (FA), $4.1M
G mpg fg% 3fg% ft% apg spg tog bpg rpg ppg
81 22.7 .430 .000 .474 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.2 7.3 3.9
For a diabetic 32-year-old backup who shoots 47% at the line and
scores under 4ppg, you'd think $4M would be plenty, wouldn't you?
Well, Chris is gambling that you'd be wrong, as he opted out of
the last 3 years of his contract. Is he unhappy with his bench
status? Does he think, given The McIllvaine Deal, he'll get mucho
dollars elsewhere? I don't know: Mark Mason, Blazers' PA guy and
Portland radio person says Dudley told him this is a move to pre-
empt a trade and ensure that Dudley stays a Blazer, as he likes
Portland (contributes greatly to the community, and this Sunday
got married to a Portland lass). Whether Whitsitt will sign him
is another question. What is not at issue is that Dudley is the
perfect complement to Sabonis, and one of the best defensive and
rebounding centres in the league. A team like Detroit or
Cleveland could really use him (and a rumoured trade, before
Dudley opted out, was Dudley for disgruntled Otis Thorpe - bizarre
in that Portland sent Thorpe to Detroit in the first place, but
makes sense for Detroit, and Thorpe would be a FA NEXT year) but
given the fact that Sabonis can only play half a game, so could
Portland. I hope he's re-signed, as, apart from anything, he's a
great example to all the young Blazer hot-heads, and will not be
outworked. Did a better job than Sabonis on Shaq in the playoffs,
too.
Ed:
Arvydas Sabonis was, of course, banged up last year. He still managed to
be an above-average center for most of the season, but in the playoffs
Shaq manhandled him in every facet of the game. Despite these post-season
problems, the tandem of Dudley and Sabonis was quite effective. Dudley
provided good rebounding and post defense, but his terrible offensive game
put a lot of pressure (too much, at times) on the rest of his teammates to
score. If Dudley does not return next year, the Blazers will have a tough
time finding a player who can provide the big backup minutes necessary to
help Sabonis's aging body.
POWER FORWARD:
Simon:
Rasheed Wallace, $2.1M (FA next year)
G mpg fg% 3fg% ft% apg spg tog bpg rpg ppg
62 30.5 .558 .273 .638 1.2 0.8 1.8 1.0 6.8 15.1
Rasheed had a very patchy rookie year with the Bullets, increasing
his reputation as a hot-head and a soft player, so I was very
disappointed when he was the major player acquired in the
Strickland trade. Well shows what a fool I was. That turned out
to be a rare good-for-both-teams trade, as Strickland took charge
of the Bullets down the stretch, and Wallace (after a rocky start)
garnered votes for most-improved player, played very consistently,
and is the consensus pick among Blazer fans for their Star of the
Future. In particular, he was one of the few bright spots in the
playoffs: delivering consistently with an unstoppable turnaround
shot, shooting ludicrously high percentage, leading the Blazers in
scoring, and generally looking very cool under pressure. Love
that bi-coloured gumshield, too! Wallace is the cornerstone of
the Blazers of the future: now looks better than Joe Smith or
Jerry Stackhouse. MUST be re-signed either this off-season or
next, and will likely command a $100M salary. On top of all else,
he showed himself to be a great bench booster, a dunker to bring
the house down, and appears to be cleaning up his off court act
(unlike practically all other Blazers) as he just won custody of
his young son. Free-throwing needs work, but again, he stepped
that up in the playoffs.
Gary Trent, $1.2M (FA next year)
G mpg fg% 3fg% ft% apg spg tog bpg rpg ppg
82 23.4 .536 .000 .699 1.1 0.6 1.6 0.4 5.2 10.8
Trent represents a problem for the Blazers, even if it is a
problem many teams would like to have. He is a potentially
excellent player, with many strengths, but also some glaring
weaknesses. This season, in particular, he showed that he is
willing to work to improve his game, as he came back from the
summer (after a somewhat disappointing rookie year, at the end of
which Dontonio Wingfield moved ahead of him in the rotation) and
showcased MASSIVELY improved free-throwing, and a very nice mid-
range jumper, that he hadn't shown before. Many commentators feel
that as a result Trent will be Cliffy's replacement at small
forward in the (possibly very near) future. However, I don't
think that's the case: although he's too short (around 6'7" max)
to play PF full time, he cannot guard most small forwards, and his
ball-handling skills leave a great deal to be desired. Another
hole in his game is his weak hands: many's the time he's bobbled a
ball, particularly on the break, where he is not comfortable,
despite his formidable athleticism. That said, when Rasheed
Wallace was out with an injured hand for a longish stretch this
season, Trent was the starter and the Blazers went on a tear (so
much so that there was talk of benching Wallace when he came
back). PF is definitely Trent's natural position, and he is
INCREDIBLY strong, and can bull his way to points almost at will.
He is a great bench asset, and in an ideal world he would continue
to be the Blazers' forward off the bench (a la Antonio Davis) but
he will be a FA next season at the same time as Wallace, and it
looks unlikely that both can be signed, particularly as both are
best suited for the PF spot. Also Trent continues to wear his
socks at knee-height, a practice he started when he was first
benched, and which indicates unhappiness with his playing time.
Trent's presence means, however, that the Blazers will not draft
Danny Fortson even if he drops. Fortson's main strength is (ho,
ho) his strength, and Trent is just as strong plus can actually
jump.
SMALL FORWARD:
Simon:
Clifford Robinson (FA), $2.9M
G mpg fg% 3fg% ft% apg spg tog bpg rpg ppg
81 38.0 .426 .346 .696 3.2 1.2 2.1 0.8 4.0 15.1
Last year Cliffy almost held out for a new contract, but decided
to play it out and win big bucks as a FA. You'd think, given that
his scoring has dipped by over 4ppg that he blew it big time.
However, if anything he showed himself to be MORE valuable, and
really matured into a team player this year. He returned to
playing agressive defence, upped his assists, and led the team in
mpg. And, what is more, he's said he wants to remain a Blazer,
and I think, given that he is the sole link to the almost-glory
years, a great "character" (headband and all) and now a valuable
vet and the team's best defender, the Blazers will miss him more
than most people think if he is let go. Pat Riley was
particularly interested in acquiring him. Will Whitsitt re-sign
him? The Blazers are stacked at forward, with Trent, Wingfield,
Jermaine O'Neal and Stacy Augmon all capable of playing SF, and
the first three in need of minutes to develop their game (and keep
them happy before they become FAs), so maybe the money could be
better spent. It just depends on how much he asks for - I for one
will miss him when he goes, even if he does fold in the playoffs
every_single_year (this year being no exception). However, at the
moment there's nobody who can defend like he can at all frontcourt
positions, and (weird as it sounds) we'd miss his veteran
influence.
Dontonio Wingfield, $500K
G mpg fg% 3fg% ft% apg spg tog bpg rpg ppg
47 12.1 .409 .338 .675 1.0 0.3 0.9 0.2 2.2 4.5
Victim of a numbers game at forward, Wingfield is something of a
mystery. This would've been his senior year in college, and a
Cincinnati frontline of him and Danny Fortson would have been
formidable. He's actually better suited than Trent to small
forward (better lateral quickness and thus not a bad defender),
even though he's very solid. Supposedly has great low-post and
rebounding skills (and at his weight could post up most SFs) but
content to stand outside and hoist threes (at which, however, he
is surprisingly good, and does tend to hit them at crunch time).
Worth holding on to, as is almost certainly as good as any player
the Blazers could get at #18, and might get more minutes if Cliff
goes. Whitsitt has acquired him twice, so will probably want more
minutes for him.
Jermaine O'Neal, $825K
G mpg fg% 3fg% ft% apg spg tog bpg rpg ppg
45 10.2 .451 .000 .603 0.2 0.0 0.6 0.6 2.8 4.1
Nearly every Blazer fan groaned when O'Neal was drafted straight
out of high school, especially as John Wallace was available.
However, you'll find few doubters now. Not because of his rookie
year - he got very few minutes under PJ - but because of what he
showed in summer camp and pre-season: incredible athleticism and
great quickness. Ever since his first dunk, people have been
pointing out that Shawn Kemp was also drafted #17 more-or-less out
of high school, and that comparison might not turn out to be too
far off. Major difference between them, however, is that Kemp was
always solid, while O'Neal has narrow shoulders and looks Garnett-
thin, which is why SF seems his natural position, even though he
is now rumoured to have grown to 7'1" and put on some pounds (by a
dubious all-steak diet, which apparently gave him stomach
problems!). You can tell he's a Trailblazer, because he's just
been arrested (although I have to say the charges sound pretty
silly).
Ed:
One possibility for backup minutes at the center spot involves the closest
thing the Blazers have to a franchise player: Rasheed Wallace. He impressed
many Blazer fans who were dubious about the young guy's maturity level and
skills. Wallace showed a great post-up game, touch, and athletecism around
the hoop on offense, and his defense and rebounding were not too bad. He
should anchor the Blazers' front line for a decade at the power forward spot.
Gary Trent, who was also in his second year last season, showed glimpses of
being a possible star in the league. His game has many more holes in it than
Wallace's does, though, and his lack of size -- he's generously listed at
6'8", hurts him at times when he's setting up down low and on defense. He
runs the floor well, but unfortunately his hands leave something to be desired:
an opposable thumb or two... the guy simply dropped too many passes last year.
Because of his size, lack of a solid perimeter game, inability to defend
smaller guys, and Wallace's stranglehold on the power forward spot, Trent's
future in Portland might be questionable. Jermaine O'Neal, Portland's
first round pick out of Eau Claire High School last year, didn't get many
minutes. Those he got, though, he showed good overall skills offensively
and a good rebounding sense. Where O'Neal is going to play in the future,
though, is up for debate. He reportedly went on an all-steak diet to gain
weight, and is supposedly over 7 feet tall now, which seems that he'd be
headed toward a post spot. On the other hand, he was working out with his
old high school team, guarding point guards to work on his defense against
quicker guys. Wherever he ends up on the floor, O'Neal is capable of being
a big-time player. The role Dontonio Wingfield will play next year depends
on what happens in the free agent market, in my opinion. If Clifford Robinson
is not back, Don will have his first shot to be a starter in the NBA.
Wingfield, had he stayed in school (college, that is) for four years, would
almost certainly have been a top 5 pick in the June 25th draft. Instead,
he's languished on the benched of Seattle and Portland for 3 years, and never
made a real impact. He has the skills, in terms of rebounding, passing, and
shooting, to be a darn good player. I am not sure whether it will be in Portland
next season, which is the last year of his contract. If Portland goes after
a Bryon Russell or a Rick Fox, or decides to re-sign Clifford, Don will rot
once again on the bench. Mitchell Butler came to the Blazers last year in the
Wallace deal. He had a couple good games, providing defense at the small
forward spot, but was never really involved most of the year.
SHOOTING GUARD:
Simon:
Isaiah "J.R." Rider, $3.6M
G mpg fg% 3fg% ft% apg spg tog bpg rpg ppg
76 33.7 .464 .385 .812 2.6 0.6 2.8 0.2 4.0 16.1
First the positives: he shoots the three much better than I'd've
thought, he appears to hustle on defence, his shooting % is pretty
good, and he's stronger than practically all other shooting
guards, so can often post up. Plus he definitely made an effort
to fit his game into a team concept. BUT: he still holds on to
the ball too long, looks for his own offence first, doesn't move
without the ball, doesn't dribble at all well (and can't be relied
on on the break), can space-out in games, and, as evidenced in the
Lakers' series, can be neutralised by double-teaming. (In the
regular season Rider really burned the Lakers and Eddie Jones, but
was largely ineffective in the postseason). That and his well-
known off-court troubles mean that he'll never be as valuable as
his talents would indicate. He's worth keeping, but I doubt any
team would ever win a championship with him as their shooting
guard.
Stacy Augmon, $2.5M
G mpg fg% 3fg% ft% apg spg tog bpg rpg ppg
40 16.2 .517 .000 .732 1.0 0.8 0.9 0.2 2.2 4.7
Whitsitt seems to be a big fan, and was pleased with this trade,
although I still think the Blazers could have better used Aaron
McKie, because McKie was a better ball-handler and three-point
shooter (both Blazer weaknesses), as well as being good buddies
with some of the young Blazers (who were pissed off when he was
traded). Augmon didn't get much chance to show his stuff, and
with Rider around, won't get many minutes at the 2. I think,
however, that Whitsitt sees him as Cliffy's replacement at the 3,
and Augmon's game is perfectly suited to the running game that
Whitsitt has practically ORDERED Dunleavy to install. We'll have
to wait to see Augmon's true value to the team. At least he's a
better defender than Rider, even if he seems to have completely
lost his offensive game.
Mitchell Butler (FA at team option), $600K
Butler got less than 10mpg in 49 games, but when he was on the
floor he looked pretty good. He's a swingman who excels at
nothing but is a great character and is all hustle. I'd like to
see him stay and be given more minutes. He will be much better
suited to a running game.
POINT GUARD:
Kenny Anderson, $4.2M
G mpg fg% 3fg% ft% apg spg tog bpg rpg ppg
82 37.6 .427 .361 .768 7.1 2.0 2.4 0.2 4.4 17.5
Well, David Falk owes Bob Whitsitt one, because nobody else wanted
Kenny last season. To a certain extent Anderson redeemed himself
(but the cries to have him on the all-star team were a bit much)
and there were loads of positives: incredible ball-handling, good
assist-turnover ratio, surprisingly high rebounds for such a
slight guy, better than expected 3-point shooting (how the
expected move to the old distance will affect him is another
matter) and 2 steals per game. He also defended pretty well, and
did a good job on Van Exel in the playoffs. However, I still
don't like his game for several reasons: he shoots too much, he
hogs the ball, he over-dribbles (he hardly ever looks up on the
break - not that the Blazers fast-broke much last season) and he's
very succeptible to being posted up. Like Rider, better than
expected, but like Rider, no great personality, not a team leader,
and still has the incredibly annoying habit of referring to
himself (with a straight face) in the third person. The Blazers
really need a decent backup for him, preferably a Derek Harper
type: big, and a good defender.
Rumeal Robinson (FA)
Rumeal was an adequate backup, but will not be back.
Marcus Brown (FA), $220K
Brown got hardly any time, but when he played he showed a very
sweet shot and some athleticism. However, he's a 6'1" shooting
guard, who must learn the point. Blazers coaching staff have
apparently been trying to make him one, and he definitely should
be kept on for his shot alone. Hope he plays point for the
Blazers' summer-league team.
Ed:
Another option at the starting small forward is Stacey Augmon, who was acquired
during last season of Aaron McKie, Randolph Childress, and Reggie Jordan. Augmon,
who had been feuding with Doug Collins in Detroit, never made the impact I
expected him to, but he was reportedly out of shape and did not get many minutes
for most of the time he was in Portland. Augmon should give the Blazers some
depth at both the 2 and 3 spots, and although he offers little in the way of a
perimeter game, his defense and slashing offensive game should fit in with the
supposedly restructured team concept. JR Rider was a pleasant suprise, as far
as I am concerned. He had his problems off of the court, and a couple on the
court, but overall I was impressed. His defense was quite good, and he played
within the team concept for the most part. (Tales of him dribbling the shot clock
down to 5 seconds and then shooting fadeaway 3's didn't turn out to be as true
as I'd feared they would be...) Some people, in Portland and elsewhere, question
the wisdom of trading for him, but considering what it took to get him -- James
Robinson, Billy Curley, and a first rounder -- he's worth the risk. Kenny
Anderson was another key to the Blazers' transformation last season. Anderson
made a lot of cash last year, but he was more durable than at any point of his
career. Kenny also settled into his role as a playmaker as the year went on,
and got more players involved offensively than he had earlier in the year.
Heading into this season, where the core of the team will be more familiar,
Kenny should be even more effective. Considering Anderson's injury problems in
seasons past, the Blazers were VERY fortunate their backup PG's were never
seriously tested. Marcus Brown, a smooth-shooting rookie, did not get enough
minutes to show whether he can handle the position in the future. Rumeal
Robinson, as he had the season before, filled in as the backup 1, but was not
very effective. Earlier efforts at the backup 1 spot (including, but not limited
to: Djordjevic, McKie, Childress, and Jordan) were even less successful.

b) COACH REVIEW

Simon:
Well, P.J. Carlesimo will again be replacing Rick Adelman, but
this time in Golden State. Carlesimo was very rigid, called plays
EVERY PLAY, allowed practically no fast breaks, and alienated many
players (most notably Rod Strickland). However, he also made
winning teams out of two quite different squads, had an amasing
winning record in April, and helped get the team playing excellent
defence. Whitsitt wanted him gone, however, because he wants the
Blazers to run, to show off all his spanking new young greyhounds,
and because (if rumours are true) P.J. refused to double-team
Shaq. With Paul Allen's cash, you'd think the Blazers would be
able to land a big name - Chuck Daley, Larry Brown or Phil Jackson
even? Well, how about Mike Dunleavy, who made the finals as Magic
Johnson's assistant coach but did diddley squat with a Milwaukee
team except prove he should never be allowed to GM. NOT my first
choice. Dunleavy sounds suspiciously like a Whitsitt pawn, and
may have been chosen largely because he's one of the few who
wouldn't demand control over personnel decisions. He's supposed
to make the team fast break, but the only time he's been
successful was by turning the Lakers into "Slowtime" - and the
Bucks didn't fastbreak either. We shall see. The Blazers lose
defensive guru Dick Harter, and other assistant coach Rick
Carlisle, to Larry Bird in Indiana. However, they also get Tim
Grgurich (sp?) from Seattle, who is well thought of and a very
good communicator.
Ed:
Paul Allen is one of the best owners in pro sports: rich, passionate about winning,
but not over-meddlesome. He's put the whole show in Bob Whitsitt's hands, and
until/if his moves (last year's deals, the coaching change, and whatever he does
this summer) fall apart, Bob is going to run things. Exactly what Mike Dunleavy
will give the Blazers that Whitsitt is so excited about is kind of beyond me.
Fortunately for Blazer fans everywhere, however, I am not the GM in real life,
so we should trust Bob's judgment once again... *gulp*

II. SELECTION AND EXPLANATIONIII. OTHER PLAYERS CONSIDERED

Simon:
In order of preference:
Derek Anderson
Depending on how his injury checks out, I expect him to go before
#14 or slip down into the twenties. He was a sure lottery pick
before he got hurt, and may still bounce back there. Leventhal
now has him going at #16, and I don't think he'll drop.
[Taken by Cavs at #13]
Jacque Vaughn
Vaughn was rated as the joint-best college PG in the country (with
Knight) before the season, and played solidly.
Chris Anstey
At #18 he'd be a reach, (although Leventhal now has him going
there) but would be best centre available if Dudley and his salary
are let go.
Bobby Jackson
Solid combination guard. Sounds a bit CBA-ish to me, though.
Ed:
Olivier Saint-Jean: Really risen in eyes of most people recently. Good size, potential.
Could provide offense off the bench, and backup in case Rider melts down.
Derek Anderson: Another mature player, like Vaughn, who could help the team as a rookie.
Chris Anstey: Portland needs size if they plan on losing Dudley and Clifford. Anstey
would make a decent backup for Sabonis, but might not even have the skills to play
in the NBA.
Marc Jackson: Portland has had him in for workouts. Had good pre-draft camps.
Stephen Jackson: If he turns out to be as good as he could be, he would fit in very
well at the 3 spot in a couple of years. On the other hand, Portland already
has taken so many chances, a safer pick like Vaughn makes more sense.

IV. WHO PORTLAND WILL PROBABLY TAKE

Simon:
I think they'll trade the pick, or failing that, take a flyer on
Stephen Jackson. You know how Whitsitt loves "potential"...
Ed:
If I had to guess (which I guess I do...), I'd say Marc Jackson. He has good size and
is a young guy. If Vaughn is available at this spot in real life, though, they'd
have a tough time passing on him.

V. OTHER MOVES THE BLAZERS SHOULD MAKE

Simon:
I think the Blazers should re-sign Dudley, and (sniff!) let Cliffy
go, if only because they really need his minutes to evaluate their
young players, and because he'll command big bucks. Offers for
Sabonis should also be entertained: although his passing skills
would be great to start the fast break, he's old and may be ending
his useful basketball life. Be nice to send him to a contender,
so the rest of the world can actually see some of those sweet
passes in action. I would also try to get Rasheed Wallace to sign
THIS off-season, and not risk letting him get away next off-
season. It's '98 that all the teams are clearing cap room for,
and ludicrous money will be waved under his nose. Whitsitt
shouldn't worry about tying up cap space and missing out on the
frenzy: I think only large market teams should be gambling next
year, and I'd gladly see the Blazers sit it out.
Ed:
Say goodbye to Clifford Robinson. Decide where Jermaine is going to play, and clear
some room for him to play; if he's going to be a post, say goodbye to Dudley. If he's
going to be a small forward, keep Dudley. If they go for a bigger player in the draft,
I'd say to look at Greg Anthony as a backup point guard. He wouldn't provide much
offense, but he's got some playoff experience, has some Portland roots, and is a
good defender. If Dudley and Clifford are gone, go after Rick Fox. He'd provide
good defense and some much-needed perimeter offense. Another option for the 3 spot
is Bryon Russell. Either one might be too expensive, and I'd be willing to go with
a Wingfield/Augmon/Butler SF situation. In any event, re-sign Wallace after all the
other moves have been made, and keep him in Portland for a LONG time.

VI. WHERE THE TEAM IS HEADED

Simon:
The Blazers have the talent to be a real force in the West in a
couple of years, particularly when Utah and Houston start to break
down. The challenge will be to keep the JailBlazers together as a
team, and not let those egos resurface. Wallace MUST be re-
signed, and I'd love to keep Trent.